Knockdown tray stack



Sept, 7, 1948. .1.v w'. MEINHARDT 2,448,679

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Patented Sept. 7, 1948 John W. Meinhardt, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Gaylord Container Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Maryland Application July 14, 1944, Serial No. 545,019

, 2 claims.

This invention relates to knockdown tray stacks of the kind used for supporting articles for convenient distribution along factory assembly lines,

while beingmoved about on lift trucks and while4 being stored or shipped. Thei invention has for its principal object to devise' a simple and inexpensive, strong and durable, light-weight tray stack which is made entirely of corrugated board or the like and wh'ich can be quickly and easily erected and knocked down in compact form to be later assembled again. The invention consists in the knockdown tray stack and in the parts and. combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig- 1 is a perspective view of one of the closure sections of a knockdown tray stack embodying my invention, said section being shown in position to form the top cover member of the tray stack, v

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a side wall section of the v'tray stack,

Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a partition section of the tray stack,` v

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the other closure section of the tray stack, said section being shown in position to form the bottom or base member of the stack,

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6-6 inFlg. 3,

Fig. 7 is a partial plan view of the blank for each' tubular frame member of the closure sections shown in Figs. 1 and 4,

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the blank for each f tubular frame member of the partition section shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the erected tray stack,

Fig. 10 is a vertical partial sectional view on` of rectangular section with' beveled ends that lform miter joints 3 at the corners of said frame. As shown in Fig. 7, each tubular frame member 2 is made from a corrugated board blank which is scored along longitudinal lines 4 to provide panels II and I2 along opposite longitudinal side margins of said blank and longitudinal panels i. t, 1, 8, 9 and III intermediate between said longitudinal side marginal panels. Th'ecorrugated board blank is folded upon itself in the same direction along the longitudinal score lines 4 to form the hollow box section frame member 2. When thus foldedl the panels 5 and 9 are adhesively secured together fiatwise to form the vertical outer side wall ofsaid frame member, the panel l forms the vertical inner side wall of said frame member, the panels 8 and III are adhesively secured together to form one horizontal wall of said frame member, the panels 8 and I2 are disposed one on each side of the closure panel I and adhesively secured thereto and cooperate therewith to form th'e other horizontal wall of said frame member and the panel Il extends between the two diagonally opposite corners formed by the panels Ii and 'l and 8 and 9, respectively, so as to form an inclined strut or brace inside said frame member. As shown in Fig. 7, each end of the blank is notched, as at 3a, to give the frame member the beveled end required to form the miter joints 3 at the corners of the edge frame of each closure section A.

Each of the side wall sections or members B comprises a strip of corrugated board that is bent along transverse score lines I3 to form four side walls Il. The ends of the strip are permanently secured together, preferably at one corner of the folded strip, by means of a strip I5 of adhesive tape. Two opposite side Walls of th'ev side wall section B are scored vertically, as atl I6. so that said section may be collaped to occup a small space.

The partition section C of the tray stack comprises a fiat closure sheet or panel I1 supported and enclosed in a rectangular frame composed of frame members I8 having duplicate tubular portions I8a of rectangular 'cross-section between which are received the marginal portions 0f said andere score lines I 9 to form the two tubular portions |811 of the trame member I8. When thus folded, the middle panel a connects the two tubular portions I8a of the frame member Il and is adhesively secured to each of the panels 8a to form the vertical outer side walls oi' said tubular portions, .the panels 8a are adhesively secured to the panel Illa to form the horizontal outer walls of said tubular portions, the panels 'Ia form the vertical inner side lwall of said tubular portions, the panels 8a are adhesively secured atwise to opposite faces of the' closure panel I1 oi' the partition section, and the panels IIa extend between diagonally opposite corners of said tubular portion to form inclined s trut members therein.

The tray stack is built up from the sections A, B and C by positioning one of the closure sections A with its hollow frame disposed uppermost to form -the"bottom member of the iirst or lowermost tray and then setting an opened side wall section B edgewise on the closure panel I of said closure'section inside the frame thereof to form the four side walls of said tray. The material or articles to be packed are then placed in the tray, after which the top of the tray is closed by the partition section C, whose closure panel I1 rests on the upper edges of the four walls of the side wall section B and whose tubular frame members I8 snugly embrace the upper portions of said side walls. Another side wall section B is then' unfolded and seated within the upper tubularframe member I8 of the partition section C -tor form the four side walls of the second tray; and this second tray, after being packed, is closed by a second closure section A whose panel I seats on the upper edges of the side walls of said second tray and whose frame is disposedlowermost and snugly embraces the upper portions.` of said side walls. As stated above, theupper and lower sections are of the same construction,v while the number of partition sections used in the tray stack depends on l thenfumberof trays therein. If a. single tray unit is assembled, the partition member may be dispensed With.` i

The 'l superposed tray stack sections may fbe fastened' together in assembled relation for shipmentby means `of fastening bands or other securingme'an's (not shown). All of the sections of the traystack are made entirely of corrugated board, or. other inexpensive light-weight bendable material and permit the tray stack to be quickly land easily erected and knocked down. The main panels of the closure and partition sections are rigidly supported and enclosed Within strong and 4rigid frames that protect and stiffen and strengthen said panels and prevent horizontal shifting or spreading of the side wall sections. Each of the hollow frame members of the closure'- and partition sections is made from a one-piece corrugated board blank and has two ply outer vertical and horizontal walls and is housed in the closed spaces formed by the closure panels and frames of adjacent closure and partition sections. y

What I claim is:

1. A knockdown tray stack made entirely of corrugated board or the like comprising duplicate upper and lower side Wall sections permanently closed on all sides and' open at their tops and bottoms, duplicate closure sections, one for the top of the upper side wall `section and the other for the bottom of the lower side wall section, and a partition sectionv between said upper and lower side wall sections, each of said closure sections comprising a, closure panel disposed in abutting relationto the adjacent end of a side wall section and a relatively wide flat tubular edge frame permanently secured to said closure panel and fitting around said end of said side wall section in outstanding relation thereto, said partition section comprising a closure panel disposed between and in abuttingrelation to the adjacent ends of said upper and lowe. side wall sections and a relatively Wide flat edge frame permanently secured to said.. last mentioned closure panel and having tubular portions disposed above and below the latter and fitting around 'said adjacent ends of said upper and lower side wall sections in outstanding relation thereto.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said side wall sections are collapsible into at form and said closure and partition members, when detached and stacked with their tubular edge frames` seated iatwise one o'n another wlth the tubular edge frame of said partition section between the tubular edge frames of said closure sections, form separate storage chambers between the stacked closure and partition sections for the two collapsed side wall sections.

, JOHN W.V MEINHARDT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the Thompson Aug. 10, 1943 

